


Sweet Nothings

by mautrino



Category: Edens Zero (Manga), Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College AU, F/M, Friendship, Romance, They all become friends, and are dorks for their crushes, coffee shop AU, nalu & shicca crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25102903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mautrino/pseuds/mautrino
Summary: Natsu and Rebecca are baristas at a local coffee shop and it’s just another day on the job for them... until some new customers brighten their morning.
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Shiki Granbell/Rebecca
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lucielhyung](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucielhyung/gifts).



> This one goes out to my amazing friend, lucielhyung!! Happy Birthday!! I hope you have an amazing day and hope you like some fun fluff with the otps!（＾ω＾）

Natsu’s filling a latte order with warm milk when the bell on the door rings and he first sees the golden-haired goddess walking into the coffee shop where he works.

She’s smiling a bright, glowing smile, talking on her phone softly, and making her way to a table in the corner.

The sun is reflecting off her hair perfectly where she sits by the window, which is cascading in light golden waves over her shoulder, rays are also catching her warm chocolate eyes just right and-

“Natsu!”

A nudge on his shoulder and an urged whisper breaks his trance. The cup was overflowing, milk spilling onto the counter.

“S-Shit, sorry,” Natsu murmurs, giving Rebecca -his younger co-worker- a sheepish smile, starting to clean off the counter.

“Is everything okay?” Rebecca asks, catching some concern in her voice.

Natsu tries to clear his throat. “Y-Yeah, all good!” he says much too quickly, heat starting to crawl up his neck before he goes to set the order in front of the customer.

He knows Rebecca catches his not so subtle glances at the beauty by the window when her blue eyes turn amused with a sly smirk on her lips.

“Oh? This is a first, someone caught your attention?” Rebecca teases, leaning against the counter.

It’s a slow mid-morning today, which Natsu is thankful for. Less risk of people seeing him unnerved like this

Though Rebecca is right, this rarely happens to him, if at all. What’s happening to him?

“Mm, whatever,” Natsu mumbles, finishing cleaning off the counter and ringing out the towels in the sink and washing off his hands.

“Yes, _whatever_ you say,” Rebecca sing says, heading towards the back.

Natsu shakes his head in amusement, leaning against the counter and laughing softly. He looks up, catching the blonde’s gaze already looking at him. He almost chokes on the breath in his throat at the small smile she gives him, hoping the one he gave back to her seemed like he had a brain.

He hopes the damn flush he could feel on his ears wasn’t too noticeable either.

Rebecca interrupts his racing thoughts when she comes back from the backroom with a tray of fresh pastries. “Ah, I can’t wait for lunch. These new chocolate chip cookies are calling my name.” She practically drools as she looks over them.

Natsu snorts, setting up a new row of clean cups. “Like you didn’t already have a whole tray at your break.”

Rebecca sets them under the food glass. “You can’t say that when I know you had just as many as I did,” she smirks, “thought I wouldn’t notice the-”

The soft ring of the bell on the door interrupts her words.

A new customer walks in. A young guy, seemingly around his age or maybe younger. Tall, dark hair, big smile.

Natsu looks over, catching Rebecca’s very interested glances at this new customer, similar to the ones she was just teasing him for a few moments ago. He fails to smother his fanged smirk at the thought.

“Oh? Someone caught your attention?” Natsu teasingly repeats her words from earlier.

Rebecca snaps out of her gaze, eyes wide and pink quickly spreading across her cheeks. “N-No… what gave you that idea,” she huffs, pushing some loose strands of her hair back behind her ear that had fallen from her bun.

“Lucy! Sorry I’m late!” Natsu overhears the new guy say, catching them pulling their phones down from their ears and giving the gorgeous mystery woman -or Lucy?- a hug.

Maybe that’s who she was talking to earlier. Boyfriend maybe? Damn.

Wait, what was he doing anyway? She was probably here to enjoy her day and would surely not appreciate him having these kinds of thoughts.

Natsu tries to distract himself by cleaning up more, Rebecca chatting with him about their new schedules this semester. 

Soon enough, he catches movement. The dark-haired guy was walking up to them, wide smile still on his face.

“You can take this one,” he whispers to Rebecca with a smirk. She didn’t have time to refuse but sent him a quick look that promised he would be in for it later, making him smother his laugh.

“Hey! How are you guys?” The new guy greeted cheerfully when he got up to the counter.

Natsu sees Rebecca’s hands fidgeting with her apron beneath the counter and he tries to smother his smirk.

“Good morning, doing good thank you!” Rebecca manages to get the words out smoothly with a bright smile of her own. “What can I get you?”

The guy runs a hand through his hair, cheeks flushing a bit. “Y-Yeah uh, can I get a chai tea latte and um, a vanilla mocha for my friend Lucy? Shiki is me, I mean that’s my name,” he laughs roughly.

Oh? He seems to have lost a bit of his energetic confidence. Maybe it wasn’t just Rebecca after all.

Rebecca doesn’t seem to notice his flustered expression though as she wrote down his order. “Of course! Anything to eat?

“Oh! Hmm.”

“They whipped up these amazing new cookies in the back today and are definitely worth it,” Rebecca grinned.

The guy’s -or Shiki’s- bright smile came back quickly. “That does sound amazing, sure I’ll take a couple!”

They chatted a bit more while Natsu started getting things together for their drinks, taking a little extra time on Lucy’s drink. He smiles as he adds a little cat design to the top of the foam. Hopefully she likes cats? Would this be too much? 

_Oh well, here goes nothing_ , he thought.

Natsu takes a deep breath and walks over to them with a tray.

“Alright, one chai and one vanilla,” Natsu says, “and threw in a couple extra cookies for ya,” Natsu grins as he sets down the cups and plate of goodies in front of them.

“Oh, this looks awesome, thanks!” Shiki says cheerfully.

Natsu enjoys the way Lucy’s eyes brighten when she saw the design on her drink. “That’s so cute! Thank you…” Lucy looks up to search his chest.

Natsu glances to where she’s looking, of course he forgot his name tag today. “Oh! The name’s Natsu,” he grins widely, smoothing a hand over the pocket of the apron on his chest.

“T-Thank you, Natsu.” He sees a soft blush spreads over her cheeks as she catches his gaze again and gives him a radiant smile that makes him almost forget the name he just said.

“No problem,” Natsu manages, rubbing the back of his neck, “um, hope you guys enjoy!”

He takes another deep breath when he’s back behind the counter.

“You’re so smooth,” Rebecca smirks.

“Shut up,” Natsu grumbles, “like you’re one to talk, ‘I can’t even look Shiki in the eye’.”

He laughs at Rebecca’s stubborn pout. She was too fun to tease sometimes.

“I can’t help it, he’s just so cute,” she admits with a sigh, “I can’t even think straight with that smile he has.”

Natsu laughs again at that. Yeah, they were pretty much in the same boat there.

* * *

Natsu had been in the backroom when Lucy and Shiki had left that day. Sad at the thought of possibly never seeing Lucy again after that, but he was happily surprised when Lucy and Shiki quickly became regulars at the shop.

Sometimes they’d come in together, sometimes on their own, but each time she came in and Natsu saw Lucy’s brilliant smile that lit up her eyes, he fell for her a little bit more. 

They’d all gotten to talking a bit and found that they went to college here in Magnolia too. Lucy was transferring here and Shiki had just started and they were trying to navigate the new town after they’d gone to high school together back in Crocus.

Natsu and Rebecca eagerly offered to show them around town and the college. Shiki’s happy, energetic energy was contagious and Natsu was all too happy to spend more time with Lucy.

Rebecca and Shiki had become fast friends too and soon were always going off on their own around town more often than not. Which Natsu joyfully teased her about whenever they had a shift together and she insisted her and Shiki were ‘just friends’. But even he could tell, it was leading somewhere good.

Natsu’s at the register this morning when the bell on the door sounds and he sees Lucy walking in, igniting the butterflies in his stomach again.

“Hi, Natsu,” Lucy greets him brightly when she gets up to the counter.

“Mornin’, Luce!” Natsu grins widely, setting down the cup he was cleaning, “The usual?”

He’d let the nickname slip one day and after she reassured him that she liked it, the name became a natural thing off his tongue.

His chest warms at the sound of her soft laugh. “You know me so well, yes please.”

Natsu tells the order to Rebecca before turning back. “Hey, I’m gonna be on break right now, mind if I join you?” Natsu asks, a warm flush crawling up his neck. He hadn’t seen her in a few days and wouldn’t hurt to catch up right?

“Oh yeah, of course,” she smiles warmly. Lucy pays and then they make their way over to her usual spot by the window.

Natsu hands her one of the big cookies he grabbed. “For you.”

Lucy giggles. “Why, thank you.”

Rebecca soon brings over Lucy’s order. “Alright, one ‘Lucy special’ for Natsu’s _favorite_ customer,” she smirks, setting the large cup in front of Lucy and sending him a quick wink before, handing him some of the tea he likes.

Natsu’s flush quickly reaches his ears. “B-Becca!”

“Feel free to take a long break, Natsu. Enjoy!” Rebecca smiles at them over her shoulder, going back behind the counter.

Dammit, of course she would. 

Natsu groans a bit. “S-Sorry, Luce,” he says, dragging a hand through his hair.

“It’s okay,” Lucy laughs, “the drinks are one of the main drinks I come in here for anyway.”

Natsu catches the teasing gleam in her eyes and her smile. He gasps dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. “You wound me, Luce. After all our mornings together.”

“Well... maybe I do come in to see my favorite barista too.” Lucy smiles at him behind her cup after taking a sip.

The back of his neck flushes as he breathes out a laugh. “Glad to see I’m still appreciated.”

“Always,” she laughs softly. Lucy’s bright chocolate eyes are warm, with a hint of something more he couldn’t place.

He can’t help but drink in the sight of her in front of him. The way her golden hair shines in the morning light and flows over her shoulder from her ponytail, the soft quirk of her plush lips, the flecks of amber in her eyes.  
She’s even more beautiful on the inside the more he got to know her over the past few months. Her kindness, generosity, the amazing way she just always sees the good in everyone, and so much more, always shines through brightly and he couldn’t help but fall.

Warmth and affection blooms in his chest, so strongly it makes his heart ache and he can’t push his bubbling feelings down and suddenly words are tumbling from his throat before he realizes it.

“Luce… there’s been something I’ve been wanting to tell you…” 

Here goes nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu finally confesses his feelings, and Shiki and Rebecca discover a bit more of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of this story just because I just kept thinking about it recently and figured I ought to give it a proper ending. But who knows, maybe I’ll keep adding bits to it here and there loll. I love both ships and they’re all so cute and soft for each other I can’t help but indulge when inspiration strikes! Enjoy!

“Luce… there’s been something I’ve been wanting to tell you…” 

“Everything okay?” Lucy asks, watching the way his fingers fidget on the handle of the mug between his hands.

“Y-Yeah, um, I just wanted…” Natsu sighs and looks back up at her, “I like you… a lot,” he breathes out, a soft flush spreading across his cheeks.

It takes a few moments for the words to sink in, warmth immediately spreading up her neck when she realizes the meaning behind his words. 

Her heart swells at the earnest look in his eyes. 

“Natsu…”

“But I-I, uh, I completely understand if you just want to stay friends,” Natsu rushes out, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes shift down from hers to the table, “I hope I didn’t mess anything up between us... ugh, I’m sorry, this was probably random to spring on you and-”

“Natsu,” she tries again, placing her hand over his on the table between them. She still feels warmth on her cheeks, but a wide smile spreads across her face.

Of course she’d thought he was gorgeous the first time she walked in the cafe and saw him behind the counter. She'd hurried to an empty table when she noticed her friend Shiki hadn't gotten there yet and that bright, infectious, toothy smile kept distracting her attention her attention until her vibrating call on her phone had shaken her out of it. She was barely able to find her words when he came to their table and she saw him up close and noticed the warmth of his hazel eyes and the sprinkle of freckles across his nose and cheekbones.

Yeah... she'd been a goner for him since the beginning.

But then they quickly became good friends and she found it hard to not fall for his kind heart and warm laugh. Eager for the days they would meet up at school or here at the cafe, and that spark of happiness would flutter in her stomach each time he greeted her with that crooked smile.

“I… I like you too, Natsu… a lot,” Lucy admits with a soft squeeze to his hand.

Natsu pauses, wide eyes snapping back up to hers. “You do?” 

Her smile grows. “I really do,” she says, feeling him relax under the brush of her thumb on the back of his warm hand.

“Oh, that’s… that makes me really happy.” Lucy watches the endearing blush darken on his cheeks a bit, as he runs his other hand through his hair, his bright grin back across his face. 

“ _You_ make me really happy,” Lucy says warmly.

Natsu’s expression softens, turning their hands so he could lace their fingers together. “You make me happy too, Luce,” he said softly, “I have the day off tomorrow, would you wanna go out for somethin’ to eat? Or anything you’d like really.” 

“I’d love to, Natsu.”

* * *

“Becca, there’s no way I would make a villager leave just ‘cause they were “boring”, that’s so mean of you,” Shiki pouts playfully, nudging Rebecca’s shoulder.

They were relaxing up in her dorm room after her class let out early. She didn’t have a shift at the cafe so she’d texted him if he wanted to come over and play some Animal Crossing and visit each other's island.

How could he say no to playing his favorite game and seeing her bright smile that always made his heart do weird things.

“I didn’t say they were _boring_ ,” Rebecca laughs, nudging back his shoulder, “I just said they didn’t go with the _aesthetic_ I’m trying to build for my island.”

Shiki snorts. “Mmhm, sure sounds like the same thing to me,” he grins, looking back at his own screen, “aww, see, how could I get rid of this guy? They’re all such cute friends.”

Rebecca leans to see over his shoulder to see the elephant character, humming. “Nope, wouldn’t want him either.”

Shiki has to stop himself from leaning in to bury himself in the soft jasmine scent of hair, clearing his throat with a laugh instead and trying to ignore that warm fluttering in his stomach.

“Again, so mean, Bec.” He pauses his game, setting it on the bed and stretches his arms over his head with a yawn. “Wanna head out for lunch?”

“Ah, yess, you read my mind. I’m starving,” Rebecca groans, leaning against his shoulder for a moment.

Shiki grins. “C’mon, you, before you starve on me. It’s your turn to pick.”

He laughs at Rebecca’s happy cheer, jumping up and pulling him with her. 

They save their games, gather their things, and Shiki follows her lead out the door. With that bright pretty smile she gives him over her shoulder, he’d follow her just about anywhere.

When he’d walked into the cafe that day, he’d just been expecting to meet his friend, Lucy, not ready for the radiant sight of that same smile and crystal blue eyes that greeted him when he stepped up to the counter. 

Which caught him off guard, because he normally didn’t really pay attention to things like that. Always just content to make friends without a second thought, but there was just _something_ about Rebecca and when they became better friends and the more he got to know her, the more he felt like it was something more… something different stirring in his heart.

Though, it was the first time he’d had these kinds of feelings, so he wasn’t exactly sure what to do with them. He was just happy whenever they got to spend time together like this.

* * *

Rebecca sighs happily, leaning back against the bench they were sitting on, overlooking a wide grassy area of campus. The cool breeze refreshing underneath the shade of the thick tree over them. 

They’d grabbed some boba teas after a filling lunch and it was hitting the spot.

“These are pretty good! I’ve never had one before,” Shiki says cheerfully.

The movement of his tongue trailing over his bottom lip, picking up drops of the sweet drink, catches her eye when she looks over at him. Rebecca feels her cheeks warm a little and she has to look away before it becomes a full on blush.

It’d been happening way too often lately and she really needed to get her emotions under control.

Ever since they started spending more time together after that day they met at the cafe, it was getting harder for her to ignore these new bubbling feelings in her heart.

Shiki was so kind, sweet… and so pretty, with that messy dark hair with a slight undercut, bright toothy smile, and ridiculous amber eyes that she always ended up getting a little lost in when she looked a little too long.

It was hard to not fall for how caring and thoughtful he was the more she got to know him, or how his full warm laugh made her smile and made butterflies flutter in her stomach, or how he was so enthusiastic whenever she shared simple things from her classes. Even that boring math one.

“We’ll just have to go out for more one day,” Rebecca manages to say, finishing the last of her drink.

“Yeah! Can’t wait. Think I wanna try the chocolate one next!” Shiki turns to her and Rebecca giggles as some of the drink spills from the straw onto his chin and shirt after he takes a long sip.

“Shiki,” she shakes her head, laughing. Rebecca grabs a few of the spare napkins to try and clean him up a bit. “Why don’t you try and finish this one first.”

“Maybe you're right,” he laughs, finishing to clean himself off.

Her gaze drops back down to his full lips, her thumb accidentally brushing over the bottom one. She hadn’t realized when they shifted closer together, but she welcomed his warmth against her side.

Rebecca looks back up for a moment, finding fondness in his eyes. Then she leans in suddenly, following her heart, and presses her lips against his in a soft, brush of a kiss.

Shiki makes a soft surprised sound against her and it quickly pulls her back to reality. 

“I-I’m sorry, Shiki, I-”

His warm palm comes up to cup her cheek gently, pausing her words. She notices his expression shift with something deeper in his eyes. “It’s okay…” 

Shiki leans back in and presses his soft lips against hers again, a bit firmer, taste of sweet almond on his lips. Their movements were a little unsure at the new action of a first kiss, but the warm touch still sends tingles up her spine.

“I… I like you, Shiki… so much,” Rebecca says softly between them when she pulled back. “I’m sorry, that was so sudden of me to do…”

Shiki takes a slow breath, a warm smile spreading across his face, taking her hand in his. “You just surprised me, but I-I like you too, Rebecca…” he admits, thumbs brushing over the backs of her hands, “I think I have since we met,” he laughs, “but I-I just never... I wasn't sure how to tell you everything I've been feeling...”

She laughs softly, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. “I didn’t either, but today just felt…”

“Yeah…” Shiki breathes, gaze dropping back to her lips for a moment, “C-Can I… can I kiss you again?” 

Rebecca takes a moment to admire the cute deep flush across his cheeks. The kind, open vulnerability in his eyes makes her heart swell a little.

She replies by cupping the back of his neck, pulling him closer till their lips pressed again in a bit of a more meaningful kiss, slow and soft.

Shiki sighs into her when she wraps her arms around his neck fully, his arm winding around her, bringing her flush against him and she melts against his warmth.

His lips were warm and sweet, their kiss filling her with warmth and flutters of promise.

* * *

“Mm, that burger spot really hit the spot,” Natsu sighs happily, rubbing over his belly with a wide toothy grin.

Lucy laughed, looping her arm through his as they walked along the pier of the beach.

They’d taken a drive in Natsu's car after their early dinner and were just in time to catch the beginnings of the sun setting in a mix of pinks and purples as the cool sea breeze blew past them. 

“Well I would hope so, since you _did_ pick it and had two of them.”

“Worth it,” he smirked. They came to a stop when they reached a bench near the end of the pier, overlooking the crashing waves below them. “I hope you liked it too though, know it wasn’t much,” he says, voice wavering a bit, running a hand through his hair as they sit down.

“Hey... anything with you is perfect, don’t worry,” she reassures with a squeeze to his arm.

“I-I’m glad,” he smiles, a cute blush spreading across his cheeks as they share a long look. “Oh, I brought some dessert from the cafe to go with our shakes," Natsu grins, pulling up the bag he’d been carrying with him, taking out smaller paper bags with some cookies and pastries.

“Think we would’ve been fine with just a couple cookies, Natsu,” she laughs fondly.

“Maybe _you_ would’ve been, but we both know the answer for me, Luce.” 

“Yes. We do.” Lucy rolls her eyes playfully at his smirk before he takes a big bite of a large cookie. Of course she already knew just how much of an appetite he could have, but she liked that they were already that comfortable and knew each other well enough to just be themselves.

They enjoy more of the sweets for a while longer, content with soft laughs and the calm of the steady waves around them, soft mist of the salty sea breeze in the air as they watch the darkening sky melt what was left of the setting warm sun.

“Thanks for today, Natsu… it really was perfect,” Lucy says softly, turning to look up at those pretty hazel eyes.

A warm smile quirks Natsu’s lips. He reaches up and gently curls some loose strands of her hair behind her ear. “Anytime, Luce. I'm happy when you're happy.” Her skin tingles as his fingers brush along her jaw, his gaze flicking to her lips before they share a meaningful look, catching the flecks of green reflecting in his eyes. “C-Can… can I kiss you?” 

Her heart warms at his fond eyes. “I thought you’d never ask,” she says softly, smiling. 

Her voice may have come off a little teasing, but a warm flush still creeps up her neck because she’d been imagining this moment more often than not lately.

Natsu huffs a soft laugh, expression relaxing as he leans in. Lucy meets him halfway and his lips are soft and warm when they finally press into hers, sweet from their treats.

She breathes a soft content sound. A tingle sparks up her spine, fingers coming up to thread through his hair at the back of his neck. His warmth was comforting against her as they shift closer together.

“It did take me a while to ask, I admit, but damn this was worth it,” Natsu laughs warmly between them after a few blissful moments, a little breathless as his thumb caresses her flushed cheek.

Lucy smiles brightly, squeezing his firm arm that was settled at her hip. “Mm, it really was. _You_ were worth it."

Her heart swells at the warm affection in his eyes and his genuine happy smile. "You're worth everything," he whispers.

She slowly leans in to resume the kiss, a little bit deeper this time that pulls a low sound from his chest.

Natsu’s warm palm shifts to the back of her neck, tilting his head and pouring more of himself into the kiss and she melted into it, following her heart into this promising new feeling with him.


End file.
